VLADIMIR ROMANOV and his family flew out of Scotland yesterday morning nursing a New Year's football hangover which could have serious repercussions for Graham Rix.
Romanov brought his wife Svetlana to watch a Hearts match for the first time and went all out to make her trip to Edinburgh one to remember.
The pair enjoyed the fireworks over Princes Street on Hogmanay from a suite at the Caledonian Hotel, but the 3-2 defeat to the Bank of Scotland Premierleague leaders a few hours later took the shine of the occasion for the couple and puts Rix's position as Hearts coach in serious jeopardy.
Romanov was seething after the setback which leaves his team seven points adrift of Celtic in the title race.
Hearts now face Kilmarnock in the Tennent's Scottish Cup on Saturday and defeat could result in Rix being jettisoned at break-neck speed.
In Rix's favour, though, were the numerous controversial incidents during the Celtic match, including the dismissal of Takis Fyssas, which took the immediate spotlight off just how his side managed to throw away a two-goal lead at home.
While Rix's suitability to coach the club remains under scrutiny, questions must also be asked about his tactical acumen, especially against Celtic.
Hearts caught Celtic cold and were two goals up and flying after only eight minutes. It was obvious that Gordon Strachan, his counterpart, would change things at half-time but Rix did not seem to know how to react until it was too late.
In the first half, the Celtic strikers, John Hartson and Shaun Maloney, were contained by Andy Webster and Steven Pressley and it was clear Strachan had to go round the outside of the Hearts defence rather than through it to take anything from the game.
As a result, Celtic played a more expansive game in the second half and Stephen Pearson, who replaced the injured Stilian Petrov, and Aiden McGeady, on for the ineffective Alan Thompson, gave them far more width. Playing Deividas Cesnauskis on the right and Rudi Skacel on the left meant Hearts were dazzling going forward but protecting a two-goal lead was never going to be their forte.
Rather than seeking to take the sting out of the game by introducing Neil MacFarlane alongside Julien Brellier, Rix persevered with Cesnauskis and Skacel, neither of whom tackle and track back. By declining to make changes, he let Celtic come at his side.
Even when forced into a reshuffle after Fyssas was sent off, Rix sent on Lee Wallace, a direct replacement at left-back, in place of Cesnauskis and his side sat far too deep in the final 15 minutes. It allowed Celtic to press on and it was no surprise that the two goals from Stephen McManus which won the game came from set-pieces amid confusion in the home defence.
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